Gate-fastener.



R. O. LEWIS. GATE FASTENEB, APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1910.

Patented Mar. 21, 1911.

w W L R O T N E V N ATTO R N EY ETQE.

RAYMOND O. LEWIS, OF AINSWORTI-I, NEBRASKA.

GATE-FASTENER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND O. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ainsworth, in the county of Brown and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Gate-Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fasteners for wire fences.

The fastener is especially adapted for use on frameless wire fence gates which are formed in wire fences and are not as frequently opened as ordinary gates.

The object of this invention is to produce a device of this class which is very simple and durable in construction, readily applied and easily operated.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side view of a frameless wire fence gate with the improvement applied; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the fastening means, showing the mounting of the ratchet arm; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the latch member; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bracket which engages the latch member.

The improved device is employed upon what are known as frameless or flexible gates erected in wire fences, particularly the fences which separate the several fields of a farm, and which gates are formed by connecting the ends of the fence wire to a loose vertical post adjacent to one of the permanent fence posts and coupling the two posts to close the gate. To open the gate, it is only necessary to release the loose post and fold the panel of fencing back out of the way.

For the purpose of illustration, the improved device is shown applied to an ordinary wire fence structure, 5 and 6 representing the fence posts at opposite sides of the gateway opening, and 7 the fence wire, the latter fastened to the posts in any suitable manner and continued over the gap between the posts 5 and 6 and the end fastened Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 7, 1910.

Patented Mar. 21, 1911.

Serial No. 591,178.

to a loose post 8, the latter being in close proximity to the post 6 when the gate is closed, as shown in Fig. 1.

The construction of the fastener which constitutes my invention will now be described. This device comprises a plate 9 which is attached in any suitable manner, as by bolts 10, to'the fence post 6. Said plate is provided intermediate its ends with integral outwardly extending parallel spaced lugs 13 and 14.

15 designates as a whole a latch member cast in one piece and substantially oblong in shape. The underneath portion or bot tom of said latch member is provided with a groove, extending from the free end of said latch member and terminating short of the rear thereof, thus leaving a solid block or portion 16 at the rear of said latch member and also providing said latch member with integral parallel spaced sides 17 and 18 and a top 19 connecting the same. The solid portion 16 is provided with an aperture 20 for the reception of a bolt or rivet 23 which extends vertically through openings in the lugs 13 and 14, thus allowing the latch member to swing horizontally on this pivot bearing.

Pivotally mounted, as at 24, between the spaced sides of the latch member is a lever 25- angular in shape, a branch 26 of which extends longitudinally of said sides 17 and 18 and terminates short of the end thereof. The front portion of said branch 26 is provided on its under edge with teeth 26. Another branch 27 of the angle lever extends downwardly a short distance from the under side of the latch member, and is provided with a finger piece or grip as at 28. A spring 29 is positioned between and extends longitudinally of the parallel spaced sides 17 and 18 and is secured therebetween by the rivet 30. The front end of said spring rests on the upper "edge of the branch 26 of the angle lever 25, and serves to hold the teeth on the lower edge of the branch 26 below the plane of the lower edge of the spaced parallel sides 17 and 18. The rear end of the spring rests in a seat 31 cut in the upper edge of the solid portion 16. Attached to post 8, as by bolts 32, is a skeleton bracket 33 having a fiat front face 34 which is provided with an opening 35 which is adapted to receive the latch member 15. Said opening is of the same configuration, but slightly larger in size, than the latch member 15. The lower edge of said opening is beveled as at 36 to permit a more secure holdfor the teeth of the angle lever when the two are in cooperation.

The operation of the device is as follows. Assuming that the gate is open and it is desired to close it, all that is necessary for the operator to do is to bring the movable post in alinement with the permanent post, advance the bracket 33 toward the latch member 15, cause the latter to enter the opening in the bracket, and then pull the post 8 until the wires are taut, when the ratchet on the lever will automatically engage the lower edge of the aperture in the bracket and hold the post in the required position. Should it be desired to open the gate, grasp the handle of the lever 25 and move it toward the post 8, when the ratchet will be disengaged from the bracket and the gate may then be swung open.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is 1. In a fastener of the class described, the combination of a yoke adapted to be secured to a fixed post, with a latch member pivotally mounted in said yoke, a ratchet lever pivotally mounted in said latch member, and a bracket adapted to be attached to the movable gate post, said bracket being provided with an aperture adapted to receive said latch member and to be engaged by said lever.

2. In a fastener of the class described, the

combination of a latch member adapted to be attached to a fixed post, said latch member comprising an oblong casting grooved in its underside, a ratchet lever pivotally mounted in the groove of the casting and extending longitudinally thereof, and a bracket adapted to be attached to a movable gate post and provided with an opening, the lower wall of said opening being adapted to be engaged by said ratchet lever when said latch member is thrust through said opening.

3. In a fastener of the class described, the combination of a latch member comprising an oblong casting having closed sides, top and one end and an open bottom, an angle lever pivotally mounted between said sides, one branch of said lever extending alongside said sides and provided on its lower edge with ratchet teeth, the other branch depending below said latch member and providing a handle for operating the lever, a spring for forcing the ratchet teeth on the first-named branch below the plane of the side plates, and a bracket provided with an opening for the reception of said latch member and the engagement of said ratchet teeth.

I11 testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

RAYMOND O. LEWVIS.

Witnesses E. E. DILLON, A. E. Wnsrovnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of IPatents, Washington, D. C. 

